Virgin Media/O2: Bundled services likely focus of scrutiny in EC merger review – lawyers
19 May 2020 - 12:00 am UTC
Virgin Media and O2’s bundled fixed line and mobile services are likely to be a key focus of scrutiny when the European Commission’s (EC) carries out its investigation into the proposed merger, according to two competition lawyers following the situation.
The GBP 31bn merger between the UK subsidiaries of Liberty Global [NASDAQ:LBTYA] and Telefonica [BME:TEF] will be notified to the EC, but may be handed down to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), according to the deal announcement.
Virgin Media and O2 predominately operate in separate adjacent markets, the first lawyer said. O2 provides infrastructure to host and provide mobile coverage, while Virgin Media provides fixed-line, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks to households and businesses, according to the deal announcement.
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